Why Protect Old Buildings?

Eugene’s older neighborhoods and houses are a critical part of our city’s history and character. Just as the Willamette River, Skinner and Spencer buttes, and the Cascades define Eugene’s natural surroundings, our historic neighborhoods of settlement era homesteads, modest bungalows, and stately craftsman homes trace Eugene’s history and help define the character of the city and of the Northwest.

The purpose of Eugene's Historic Preservation program is to increase public awareness of this history and character and to facilitate restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures, landscape features, and other culturally significant physical objects and geographic areas.

The foundation of the city's historic preservation effort is the Cultural Resource Inventory, which identifies those buildings and landscapes that are significant for their architecture, their link to important people in Eugene's history, or their place in the broad patterns of the community's development.

The city has various tools to recognize and protect historically significant properties and districts. These include City Historic Landmark designation, listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and the S-H Historic zoning district. In addition to recognizing the historic significance of properties, these designations can also qualify property owners for certain incentives, including tax credits and assessment freezes, low interest loans for building rehabilitation, and increased flexibility in permitted uses in S-H Historic zoning districts.

To find out more about surveys, historic designation, preservation incentives, Eugene's history, and historic preservation in general, browse this site or contact us at 541-682-5377.

The Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association recently completed their attractive web site.  We encourage you to visit the Eugene Masonic Cemetery website to learn more about Eugene's first burial ground, which was established in 1859. A link to that website can be found on the right-hand column of this page.

Please see the Land Use Applications page if you are interested in obtaining information about the application process for historic property in the city of Eugene.